WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is one of six health care facilities in the country to receive the “2003 Client Success Story Award” for its achievements in improving patient satisfaction.

The Medical Center’s patient satisfaction ratings put it among the top 1 percent of similar types of hospitals and in the top 2 percent of more than 800 hospitals of all sizes and types.

“I want to thank our 11,917 employees and volunteers for their remarkable compassion, skill and hard work in making our Medical Center a model of medical excellence and patient care,” said Len. B. Preslar, Jr., hospital president and chief executive officer.

The award was made by Press Ganey Associates, a research firm that measures patient satisfaction for more than 800 hospitals across the country. The “Success Story Awards” are presented to facilities that demonstrate leadership, implement organizational changes and achieve service excellence. Medical Center representatives will be invited to tell their story at the company’s national conference in November.

A Patient Satisfaction Improvement Team, made up of employees from various levels in many departments, set out to reach the 90th percentile in patient satisfaction. The Medical Center reached its original goal in October 2001 and then continued to climb in the ratings, reaching the 99th percentile in 2002 and maintaining that level ever since. The team’s efforts to improve patient satisfaction included using wireless telephones so that nurses could respond more quickly to patient calls for assistance, and offering the delivery of morning newspapers along with breakfast.

Patient satisfaction is measured using written surveys that are mailed to patients. The Medical Center compares its scores with those of similar hospitals: 86 hospitals with more than 600 beds, 144 hospitals that are members of the Council of Teaching Hospitals, and 61 hospitals that are members of University Health Consortium. In addition, the Medical Center is ranked with all 821 hospitals, of varying size and complexity, in the Press Ganey database. ###

In The News

On March 20, seniors at Wake Forest School of Medicine learned where they will begin their careers as doctors at Match Day,an annual event at which graduating medical students learn where they’ll be doing their residencies. This year 113 Wake Forest medical students, 59 men and 54 women, matched in 20 specialties.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.